On July 4th, 2013, College of The Bahamas (COB) student Justin Knowles became the second COB student to begin a six-week Spanish Language Immersion program at the Universidad Internacional in Mexico. Sponsored by the Association of International Banks and Trust Companies (“AIBT”), Mr. Knowles will attend Spanish and Mexican culture classes, including up to 38 hours of language instruction per week. The 21 year old Economics and Finance major, was selected from a shortlist of student attendees at the 2012 Nassau Conference and joins fellow Bahamian and COB student Franktasha Rolle in Mexico where she began the immersion program on June 20th, 2013.
The Universidad Internacional program is designed to develop fluency in Spanish conversation by focusing on four main skills: Listening Comprehension, Reading, Conversation, and Writing. Classes run on a “group of five” system, where there are no more than 5 students assigned to one professor, resulting in students getting dedicated and personal attention.
The Spanish Language Immersion initiative is a key component of AIBT’s professional development efforts, of which the Nassau Conference is the centerpiece and also includes a Ministry of Financial Services/AIBT sponsored six-week paid internships for students at leading financial services companies. The Nassau Conference, as the professional development arm of AIBT, seeks to expose the next generation of leaders to this dynamic and vital sector and help continue the country’s leadership as a global financial services centre.
Photo (L-R) Mr. Bruno Roberts, Deputy Chairman, AIBT, Mr. Justin Knowles, COB Student, Mr. Jean-Marc Fellay, Chairman, AIBT